Hair curling device



Oct. 1, 1963 A. SAFIANOFF HAIR CURLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 28, 1960 UnitedStates Patent Ofiice 3-,lh5,5=3 Patented Get. 1, 1963 3,105,503 EARCURLING DEVECE Albert Saiianolf, Chicago, llL, assignor to The Gilletteompany, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 28, 1960,Ser. No. 5,137 2 Claims. (Cl. 132-40) This invention relates to a devicefor forming hair curls and pertains more specifically to a device forforming a tress of hair into a fiat spiral curl of the type commonlyknown as a pin curl.

Present hair dressing techniques and styles of coiffure involve the useof flat spiral curls of hair which lie flat against the head and areheld in place by means of hairpins. While it is common practice toemploy ones fingers in manipulating and shaping a tress of hair intosuch a curl, this operation and that of securing the curl in placerequires a considerable degree of dexterity which is not possessed tothe same extent by everyone, so that the curl produced is not alwayscompletely satisfactory.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device of simple andinexpensive construction which can be employed in forming a tress ofhair into a pin curl of the type described.

Another object is to provide a two-part device for forming pin curls,which device can readily be separated into its component parts.

Still another object is to provide a device for forming pin curls of thetype described comprising a mandrel having a base plate with which ahair-engaging element can be associated for forming a tress of hair intoa curl on the base plate.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the drawing and from thedescription which follows.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view showing one eu bodiment of thepresent invention with the two parts thereof separated from each other:

FIG. 2 is a view in cross-section showing the mandrel of the embodimentof FIG. 1;

FiG. 3 is a view in cross-section showing the hair-engaging element ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows the mandrel of FIG. 1 with a tress of hair applied to it inan initial stage of curl formation;

FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 in assembled position with a tressof hair which has been formed into a pin curl by the device;

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation showing another er. bodiment of amandrel; and

FIG. 7 is a view in section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

As shown in the drawing, one embodiment of the present inventioncomprises a mandrel 19 which includes a base plate 12 of generally flatcircular configuration and a center post 14 extending from the center ofthe base plate perpendicularly thereto. An aperture 16 may be providedin the base plate adapted to receive a tress of hair, the aperture 16preferably extending inwardly from the outer margin of base plate 12with the narrowest portion of the aperture adjacent the outer margin.The portion of aperture 16 closest to the center of the plate preferablyis of arcuate configuration, extending about the center post in acircular direction. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, base plate12 has a plurality of openings 18, 13 extending therethrough to decreasethe weight of the device and to permit the hair curl to dry readilyafter it has been formed. Center post 14 may have a hollow core 29, asshown in FIG. 2, in order to provide a device which is light in weight.

A hair-engaging element 39 which is adapted to be removably mounted onthe center post of mandrel it? for rotation thereon comprises a sleeve32 adapted to slide and rotate freely on center post 14. A plurality ofnarrow inwardly projecting ribs 33 may be provided on the inner surfaceof sleeve 3-2 extending generally parallel to its axis to act as bearingsurfaces to minimize friction, and the outer face of the sleeve ispreferably knurled or ribbed to facilitate gripping it with the fingers.A generally annular flange member 34 extends radially outwardly from one.end of sleeve 32 and earries a circuln rim 36 extending forwardly fromflange 34 about its outer periphery, embracing an array of hair-engagingprojections or teeth 3-8 arranged to form a circular row concentric withrim 36 and center post 14. Teeth 38 extend forwardly beyond the plane ofthe margin of rim 3:; in order to engage the hair tress tobe wound uponthe mandrel. Rim 36 serves to keep other hair tresses, adjacent to theone being curled, from becoming engaged or entangled by teeth 38 duringuse of the device. Openings 4%, 443- may be provided, if desired, inflange 34 to reduce the weight of the hairengaging member and to permitrapid drying of the hair tress.

In use, a tress of hair is wrapped for about one turn around the centerpost 14 of the mandrel being drawn through aperture 16 if such anaperture is present, and passing from left to right as seen in FIG. 2,i.e., in the same direction as the center post 14. Mandrel 10 is movedalong the hair tress until it is close to the head, whereupon the freeend of the tress is wrapped one or more times about the center post 14-,as shown in FIG. 4, and hair-engaging member 36* is mounted on thecenter post, as shown in FIG. 5, so that it is free to rotate. Sleeve 32is then grasped with the fingers and is rotated on center post 14 whilebeing urged toward base plate 12 of the mandrel 10 The project'mg teeth33 engage the hair tress and form it into a neat, con pact, spirallyarranged, flat curl without snarls. Hairengaging element 3% may be leftin position to maintain the curl in place, or if desired it may beremoved by pulling it axially from its position on center post 14 and itmay then be used with a different mandrel. in the latter case, the pincurl may be securely retained in position by securing it with a hairpin,with one leg of (the pin at the face of the hair curl remote from baseplate 12 and the other leg of the pin between base plate 12 and thehead. In either case, the mandrel 1% will remain in position on the headof the individual until the hair has dried or has been otherwise set inits desired curled configuration.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a semiannular array of teeth5% is mounted on base plate 52 which is otherwise identical with baseplate 12, being provided with a center post 54 and with a slot 56 narrowat the outer periphery of base plate 52 and windening into asemi-annular opening or aperture 58 adjacent center post 54. The arrayof teeth 50 is also disposed adjacent center post 54 and on the oppositeside thereof from aperture 58, extending upwardly from base plate 52 inthe same direction as center post 54 so as to be encompassed by thecircular row of teeth 38 on element 36 when the latter is mounted oncenter post 54. The teeth of array 59, which are preferably no greaterin length than teeth 38, aid in temporarily holding the hair tress inplace on the base plate 52 before the hair engaging element 30 ismounted in place on the center, and also teeth 38 in facilitatinginitiation of the curling or wrapping operation.

l-lair curls formed by means of the device or" the present invention areparticularly desirable in that the hair tress is not only wrappedcircumferentially about the center post but also is twisted spirallyabout its longitudinal axis at the same time.

The curling device of the present invention may be fabricated from avariety of materials including metal and rubber, but the material ofchoice is a synthetic plastic composition which is light in weight, freefrom any tendency to rust or discolor in use and readily formed by asimple molding operation.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been describedherein, it is not intended to limit the invention solely thereto, but toinclude all of the obvious variations and modifications within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for forming pin curls comprising a mandrel having agenerally fiat base plate with a post secured to and extendingsubstantially perpendicularly upwardly therefrom and having an varcuateaperture in said base plate and a slot extending inwardly from the outermargin thereof to said aperture, said mandrel being adapted to be placedagainst a head with said post extending outwardly and a tress of hairextending through said slot and said aperture, a hair-engaging elementcomprising a sleeve mountable on said post for rotation thereabout and aflange secured to and extending radially outwardly from said sleeveadjacent the end of said sleeve nearest to the base plate, a circularrow of hair-engaging teeth on said flange positioned inwardly of themargin thereof and pro- '4 jecting toward said base plate when saidsleeve is mounted on said post, means for preventing entanglement ofother adjacent hair tresses by sai'd teeth comprising a rim extendingfrom the margin of said flange toward said base plate, said teethprojecting beyond the margin of said rim in position to bear againstsaid base plate and to engage the first-mentioned hair tress when saidelement is urged toward said base plate, whereby rotation of saidelement on said post forms the first-mentioned hair tress into a curlabout said post between said base plate and said flange.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said mandrel includes anarray of hair-engaging teeth mounted on said base plate adjacent saidcenter post and the hair-engaging teeth on said element are arranged ina circular row embracing the array on said base plate when the elementis urged toward the base plate and the teeth on said element are atleast as long as those on said base plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent" UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A DEVICE FOR FORMING PIN CURLS COMPRISING A MANDREL HAVING AGENERALLY FLAT BASE PLATE WITH A POST SECURED TO AND EXTENDINGSUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY UPWARDLY THEREFROM AND HAVING AN ARCUATEAPERTURE IN SAID BASE PLATE AND A SLOT EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE OUTERMORGIN THEREOF TO SAID APERTURE, SAID MANDREL BEING ADAPTED TO BE PLACEDAGAINST A HEAD WITH SAID POST EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND A TRESS OF HAIREXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT AND SAID APERTURE, A HAIR-ENGAGING ELEMENTCOMPRISING A SLEEVE MOUNTABLE ON SAID POST FOR ROTATION THEREABOUT AND AFLANGE SECURED TO AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SLEEVEADJACENT THE END OF SAID SLEEVE NEAREST TO THE BASE PLATE, A CIRCULARROW OF HAIR-ENGAGING TEETH ON SAID FLANGE POSITIONED INWARDLY OF THEMARGIN THEREOF AND PROJECTING TOWARD SAID BASE PLATE WHEN SAID SLEEVE ISMOUNTED ON SAID POST, MEANS FOR PREVENTING ENTANGLEMENT OF OTHERADJACENT HAIR TRESSES BY SAID TEETH COMPRISING A RIM EXTENDING FROM THEMARGIN OF SAID FLANGE TOWARD SAID BASE PLATE, SAID TEETH PROJECTINGBEYOND THE MARGIN OF SAID RIM IN POSITION TO BEAR AGAINST SAID BASEPLATE AND TO ENGAGE THE FIRST-MENTIONED HAIR TRESS WHEN SAID ELEMENT ISURGED TOWARD SAID BASE PLATE, WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID ELEMENT ON SAIDPOST FORMS THE FIRST-MENTIONED HAIR TRESS INTO A CURL ABOUT SAID POSTBETWEEN SAID BASE PLATE AND SAID FLANGE.